On December 18, Beijing time, the 18th round of Serie A ushered in a focus battle: Atlanta vs Roma. Two teams, one in Serie A third and one sixth in Serie A. Objectively speaking: Atalanta has the advantage of strength, and it is a home battle, which should be more comfortable. Unexpectedly, it caught Roma off guard: 1-2 behind at half-time.
Less than a minute into the game, Tammy Abraham opened the scoring.
In the 27th minute, Roma played another efficient counter-attack, and Zaniolo scored with a low shot.
The 2-0 lead put Atalanta in jeopardy. In the 33rd minute, Gasperini made a substitution adjustment, replacing Jim sitti with Muriel. Muriel is the striker and Jimsiti is one of the three centre-backs. Atalanta's usual playing style is 343, and now there is one less center-back and one more forward. Rome, forcing Atlanta to fight for their lives.
In half-time stoppage time, it was Muriel who pulled a goal back.
Looking at the first half, why were Roma so good? Let's look at the defensive end: Atalanta's players, in the 30-meter area of The Heartland of Rome, are easily caught. As soon as the Roma player's long legs were extended, Atalanta lost the ball. This can be seen in the pertinence of Mourinho's defensive tactics. Also from another aspect, it reflects the fighting spirit of the Roma players in this game. Because Roma are currently eight points behind fourth-placed Napoli, if they don't score 3 points in this campaign, competing for four will become a luxury.
What about on the offensive end? Mourinho used a strange trick to put one person to life: Zaniolo. I thought Mkhitaryan was a free man in the front. Unexpectedly, Zaniolo was. Its free running position in the frontcourt gives Roma a second fulcrum besides Abraham. This makes Atalanta's backline very uncomfortable. Moreover, Zaniolo's physical condition is very good, and his explosive power is super strong, making the opponent invincible. If Zaniolo can play the ball so uniquely, pass the ball at the right time and improve the accuracy, it will go up the ladder and move towards the ranks of superstars.
Throughout the first half, Mourinho's tactics were successful. However, today Gasperini has changed sides and has also received results. It is not known what adjustments Mourinho will make at half-time. This, see Mourinho's skills.